Device for creating an electrically conducting connection for an assembly panel fitted in a switch cabinet

ABSTRACT

A device for creating an electrically conducting connection for an assembly panel fitted parallel to the rear side in a switch cabinet, to which assembly panel are allocated on at least one side a frame section of a frame, an assembly track or a frame section-type edge of a side wall. Specially designed contact springs and assembly panels ensure that the assembly panel, optionally fitted with a non-conducting surface protection layer, can be fitted simply and with appropriate contacts in a switch cabinet.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to a device for an electrically conductiveconnection of a mounting plate installed in a switchgear cabinet, rackor housing.

2. Description of Prior Art

If a mounting plate is connected in an electrically conducting mannerwith the rack or the cabinet body, it is necessary to create connectingpoints on the mounting plate and the rack or the cabinet body, which areconnected with each other by grounding cables. It is thus necessary,particularly with respect to the mounting plate, to make the appropriatepreparations, and contacting can only be performed after the mountingplate is inserted. This is not easy to do, in particular when themounting plate is installed in the switchgear cabinet directly connectedto the back wall.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is one object of this invention to create a device of the typementioned at the outset, wherein contacting with the rack or the cabinetbody of the switchgear cabinet can automatically take place when themounting plate is inserted, and wherein the application of the contactspring is simple and solid.

With the aid of the simple and cheaply produced contact springs, whichcan be fixed on the edge of the mounting plate prior to the latter beinginserted, it is possible while inserting the mounting plate toautomatically provide electrically conducting connections with theadjoining frame legs of the rack, mounting rails or bevel of the lateralwalls at an arbitrary number of locations, since the contact section ofthe contact springs rest against them under prestress and produceelectrically conducting connections with these elements of theswitchgear cabinet, which are provided with an electrically conductingsurface, if required. In this case it is unimportant whether themounting plate has an electrically conducting surface or an electricallynon-conducting protective surface coating. When the contact spring isslipped on the end section of the edge of the mounting plate, thesecuring claws penetrate through the protective surface coating andprovide prestressed electrical connections with the mounting plate.Thus, the edge of the mounting plate is beveled in a U-shape in such away that the end section extends parallel with the rear wall and facesit, and the contact sections partially enclose the edge of the mountingplate. An improved support of the contact spring on the end section ofthe edge of the mounting plate is thus achieved. Furthermore, wheninserting the mounting plate over the contact sections, no forcecomponent is exerted which might lead to the release of the contactspring from the edge of the mounting plate. Alternatively, the contactsprings are fixed in place on the frame leg, the mounting rail or theframe leg-like bevel and penetrate through a protective surface coatingand make contact with the edge area of the mounting plate which, ifrequired, is also bare, without requiring additional manipulations.

With one preferred embodiment of this invention, along with a dependableoperation, the embodiment and attachment of the contact springs on theframe legs, the mounting rail or the frame leg-like bevel is simple, andthere is solid support. Alternatively, the contact springs are fixed inplace on the frame leg, the mounting rail or the frame leg-like beveland penetrate through a protective surface coating and make contact withthe edge area of the mounting plate which, if required, is also bare,without requiring additional manipulations.

In accordance with one embodiment of this invention the securing clawsand the inward located securing section are laterally stamped out andbent in a direction toward the outward located securing section.

If the contact sections are wider than the securing sections, and thesecuring claws are oriented in the direction toward the end of the endsection of the edge of the mounting plate, the contact spring can beproduced from a strip of spring band steel as a simple punched bentcomponent.

In another embodiment the contact sections of the contact spring rest onthe outside against the rounded transitions of the center section of theedge of the mounting plate. The contact sections thus also improve thesupport of the contact spring on the edge of the mounting plate.

If necessary, a connection possibility for a grounding cable can beeasily provided because the contact section of the contact spring facingaway from the rear wall is extended as the connecting section, which hasa connecting bore and/or terminates in slip-on contacts, and is beveledin the direction toward the contact edge as well. The frame leg of therack, the mounting rail or the bevel of the lateral wall can also have aprotective surface coating.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

This invention will be explained in more detail in view of an exemplaryembodiment represented in the drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a partial section view of an electrically conductingconnection made by a contact spring in accordance with this inventionbetween a mounting plate, installed in the area of the rear frame of therack of a switchgear cabinet with a protective surface coating, and therack,

FIGS. 2 and 3 are front and side views, respectively, of a contactspring wherein the two views are offset by 90°,

FIG. 4 shows two different embodiments of an end of the connectingsection of the contact spring,

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a contact spring in accordance withanother preferred embodiment of this invention, and

FIGS. 6, 7 and 8 show different examples of an installation of thecontact spring as shown in FIG. 5.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

As shown in FIG. 1, frame legs 20 form a frame in an area of a back ofthe switchgear cabinet, wherein a profile side of the frame legs 20,which is extended into a sealing strip, forms an installation wall. Therear wall 25, which has a beveled edge 26, supports a sealing element 27on its inside, which rests against the sealing strip and allows a tightconnection between the rear wall 25 and the frame leg 20. In place ofthe frame leg 20, a frame leg-like bevel of the associated rear wall canalso form the installation wall 21. Furthermore, if the mounting plate30 is installed offset from the rear wall, a mounting rail can also formthe installation wall 21. Contact places, such as shown in FIG. 1, canbe formed on all four sides of the mounting plate 30. This is only afunction of the embodiment of the edge of the mounting plate 30 and theassignment of installation walls 21 for the contact spring 10.Preferably both vertical sides of the mounting plate 30 have an edge 3 1beveled in a U-shape. In this case the lateral section 32 and the endsection 34 are rounded and make a transition into the center section 33,which closes off the edge 31 toward the exterior. The end section 34extends parallel with and faces the rear wall 25.

Together with the securing sections 11 and 12, the contact spring 10,which is shown beveled in FIGS. 1 and 3, forms a plug receptacle whichis slipped on the end of the end section 34. The end section 14 of thesecuring section 12 is bent away from the securing section 11, so thatsliding the contact spring 10 on the end section 34 of the edge 31 ofthe mounting plate 30 is simplified, and prestressing between thesecuring sections 11 and 12 is made easier by deflecting them. Securingclaws 13 are stamped laterally from the securing section 12 and are bentin the direction of the securing section 11. The securing claws 13 areoriented in the direction toward the end of the end section 34 forimproving the support of the slipped-on contact spring 10. The outersecuring section 11 makes a transition into the two contact sections 15and 16, which enclose the edge 31 of the mounting plate 30 and restagainst the rounded transitions to the center section 33 of the edge 31.The two contact sections 15 and 16 form a contact edge 22, which restswith prestress against the installation wall 21. At the same time thecontact sections 15 and 16 rest with prestress on the edge 31 of themounting plate 30 and improve the support of the contact spring 10 onthe contact plate 10.

While inserting the mounting plate 30, the contact sections 15 and 16 ofthe contact spring 30 are pushed in the direction toward the centersection 33 of the edge 31. Because of this, prestress is generated forthe contact edge 22. The contact section 16 makes a small slidingmovement on the edge 31, without closing the support on the edge 31 andwithout removing the prestress between the two contact sections 15 and16.

As shown in FIG. 2, at least the securing section 12 is narrower thanthe remaining sections of the contact spring, so that the contact spring10 with the securing claws 13 on the securing section 12 can be made asa punched bent component from a uniformly wide strip of spring bandsteel.

If the installation wall 21 has an electrically non- conductingprotective surface coating, the contact section 16 is extended asconnecting section 17 and is beveled in the direction toward theinstallation wall 21. As shown in FIG. 4, the end of the connectingsection 17 can have a connecting bore 18, which makes the connection ofa grounding cable easier. In addition, the end can also terminate inplug connectors, which can be embodied as a slip-on contact 18. It isthus possible to provide an electrically conducting connection of themounting plate 30 with the remaining switchgear cabinet installation.

FIGS. 5 to 8 represent an alternative embodiment of the contact spring10. A perspective representation of the contact spring 10 is shown inFIG. 5. FIG. 6 shows one manner of proceeding when attaching the contactspring 10 on an opening 28 of the frame leg 20 by means of a simple tool40, while FIGS. 7 and 8 represent the contact spring 10 in the installedstate on a right, or respectively left frame leg.

The contact spring 10 in accordance with FIGS. 5 to 8 is essentiallybent in an F-shape with a securing leg 2 and another securing leg 3, andis inserted under a defined tension into the opening 28, wherein thedimensions of the opening 28 are matched to the open side of the V, andthe securing claws 4 and 5 fix the contact spring 10 in place on theinside of the wall around the opening. The securing claws 4 and 5 canalso scratch a possible protective surface coating open during insertionwith the tool 40 and to form a contact with the metal.

The opening 28 is located in a leg of the frame leg 20 directed towardthe switchgear cabinet interior and extends parallel with the plane ofthe mounting plate 30. An end section 1, oriented toward the adjoininglateral wall of the switchgear cabinet, is connected to the one securingleg 2 of the contact spring 10, which rests flat against the frame leg20, while the other securing leg 3 of the contact spring, located awayfrom the lateral wall, makes a transition into a contact section 6,which also rests flat against the frame leg 20 and which continues in afurther contact section 7 oriented at right angles with it toward therear wall 25. The contact section 7 also rests flat on the exterior ofthe frame leg 20 against the profile leg, which is oriented toward theswitchgear cabinet interior and extends vertically with respect to therear wall 25. On the side facing the rear wall 25, an extension of thefurther contact section 7 is then bent essentially back upon itself andinto a V-shape or U-shape, wherein the sections located opposite thefurther contact section 7 form contact sections 8 and 9. Together, thecontact sections 8 and 9 form a contact edge 22' which rests underspring tension against the edge 33 of the mounting plate 30 in theinstalled state of the latter.

The contact section 9 at the end, which is bent obliquely in thedirection toward the further contact section 7, here results in aresilient insertion slope for the mounting plate 30 to be inserted, sothat a dependable operation is assured.

If the edge of the mounting plate 30 has a protective surface coating,it is possible to also provide claw- like protrusions in the area of thecontact edge 22', by means of which the protective surface coating isscratched away.

What is claimed is:
 1. In a device for an electrically conductiveconnection of a mounting plate (30) installed in a switchgear housing,to which one of a frame leg (20), a mounting rail and a frame leg-likebevel of a lateral wall is assigned on at least one side,wherein themounting plate (30) is one of beveled at a facing edge (31) and having areinforcement, wherein at least one multiple beveled contact spring (10)is used for contacting between the mounting plate and the switchgearhousing, the spring being attached on one of an end section (34) of theedge (31) and on the reinforcement of the mounting plate (30) byU-shaped securing sections (11, 12) having securing claws (13),producing an electrical connection, supported by a prestressing andsecured on the mounting plate (30), and wherein two contact sections(15, 16) of the spring adjoin the outward located securing section (11)of the contact spring (10), which form a contact edge (22) which issupported on the frame leg (20) of the mounting rail or the bevel withprestress, and wherein one of the frame leg (20) of one of the mountingrail and the bevel has an electrically conducting surface, or in an areaof the contact edge (22) the contact spring (10) has claws which areoriented toward the frame leg (20) of one of the mounting rail and thebevel, or both; the improvement comprising:the edge (31) of the mountingplate (30) beveled in a U-shape to have legs composed of a lateralsection and an end section and a bight composed of a center section sothat the end section (34) extends parallel with and faces the rear wall(25), (b) the contact spring (10) slipped over and around the endsection (34) with the U-shaped securing sections (11, 12) contacting theend section (34), and (c) the contact sections (15, 16) partiallyenclosing the edge of the mounting plate (30).
 2. In the device inaccordance with claim 1, wherein the contact sections (15, 16) are widerthan the securing sections (1 1, 12), and the securing claws (13) aredirected in a direction of the end section (34) of the edge (31) of themounting plate (30).
 3. In the device in accordance with claim 1,wherein the contact sections (15, 16) of the contact spring (10) rest onan outside of the rounded transitions of a center section (33) of theedge (31) of the mounting plate (30).
 4. In the device in accordancewith claim 1, wherein the contact section (16) of the contact spring(10) facing away from the rear wall (25) is extended as a connectingsection (17), which at least one of has a connecting bore (19) andterminates in slip-on contacts (18), and is also beveled in a directiontoward the contact edge (22).
 5. In the device in accordance with claim1, whereinthe securing claws (13) are laterally stamped out of theinward located securing section (12) and are bent in a direction towardthe outward located securing section (11).
 6. In the device inaccordance with claim 5, whereinthe contact sections (15, 16) are widerthan the securing sections (11, 12), and the securing claws (13) aredirected in a direction of the end section (34) of the edge (31) of themounting plate (30).
 7. In the device in accordance with claim 6,wherein the contact sections (15, 16) of the contact spring (10) rest onan outside of the transitions between the legs and the bight of the edge(31) of the mounting plate (30).
 8. In the device in accordance withclaim 7, whereinthe contact section (16) of the contact spring (10)facing away from the rear wall (25) is extended as a connecting section(17), which at least one of has a connecting bore (19) and terminates inslip-on contacts (18), and is also beveled in a direction toward thecontact edge (22).
 9. In a device for an electrically conductiveconnection of a mounting plate installed in a switchgear housing, towhich one of a frame leg (20), a mounting rail and a bevel in a mannerof a frame leg of a lateral wall is assigned on at least oneside,wherein at least one multiple beveled contact spring (10) is usedfor contacting an edge (33) of the mounting plate (30), which is fixedin place in a contacting manner at one end at one of a fastening point(28) of a section of the frame leg (20), the mounting rail and the frameleg-like bevel which is parallel with a plane of the mounting plate(30), and on the other end is resiliently and contactingly supported onthe edge (33) of the installed mounting plate (30), and wherein thecontact spring (10) has claws (4, 5) for contacting in one of an area ofthe fastening point (28) and the support point of the mounting plate(30), wherein a contact section (1, 6), which follows the fasteningpoint (28) rests against the parallel section, and a further contactsection (7) following the one contact section (6), which is verticalwith respect to the one contact section (6) and faces the edge (33) ofthe mounting plate (30), rests against one of a section of the frame leg(20), the mounting rail and the frame leg-like bevel, and whereinanother contact section (8, 9) forms a U-shaped or a V-shaped contactedge (22') between themselves, the improvement comprising:the furthercontact section (7) extends along and is supported by the one of theframe leg, mounting rail and frame leg-like bevel; and is then bent backupon itself 180° to form the another contact section (8, 9) in one of aU-shape and V-shape apart from and in opposition to the further contactsection (7), and the another contact section in one of a U-shape orV-shape lies between the section of the frame leg, the mounting rail andthe frame-leg like bevel and the section of the mounting plate which areparallel and contacts one of the parallel sections.
 10. In the device inaccordance with claim 9, whereina fastening point of one of the frameleg (20), the mounting rail and the frame leg-like bevel forms anopening (28) with one of a U-shaped and a V-shaped bevel matched to thelatter, and the claws (4, 5) extend behind the wall in an insertedstate.